Desert Lions

[epaiva]

Phisical abilities of Kalahari Lions: To what extend is a lion prepared or able to run at full speed after its prey?
Lions are built for power not speed, their heart are relatively small (significantly smaller than that of a hyena) and the ability of the heart to provide oxygen to the muscles and to cope with the fast movement is limited. George Schaller, an expert of lions says the average distance of lion's charge during a hunt is 30 metres, under excepcional circunstances, especially in long grass it may chase its prey for as far as 200 metres, but then the lion will give up the chase.
The Kalahari Lion has its own set of norms, I have seen a lioness stalk a gemsbok across a large pan for 800 meters, at intervals she would sit or run slowly, with her body close to the ground, when her prey eventually started running she charged at full speed for 550 metres only to find the terrified animal escaping her with bewildering speed. I also saw a lioness stalking an aardvark that was digging up an anthill, she charged and chased it for 110 metres, when sudenly the aardvark turned sharply, deep grooves in the sand showed how the lioness had braked and had to chase it for 240 metres before she could catch it, she then had to share it with two males.
Book Hunters if the Dunes The story of the Kalahari Lion (Fritz

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

*This image is copyright of its original author

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